Combined multiple-application alert system and method

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for combined alerting. Initially, an event is identified. First information relating to a first response to the event associated with a first application is received. Further received is second information relating to a second response to the event associated with a second application. In response thereto, a single alert is displayed including the first information and the second information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for combined alerting, comprising:
 receiving first information relating to a first response to an event associated with a first application; 
 receiving second information relating to a second response to the event associated with a second application; and 
 displaying a single alert including the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the single alert includes a window automatically displayed on a front most window of a graphical user interface, in response to the receipt of the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the receiving and displaying is carried out utilizing an interface that includes the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including includes a first color coded status indicator for the first application, a second color coded status indicator for the second application, and a security index display that displays a plurality of security indices, where each of the plurality of security indices includes a numerical security score and a graphical representation that corresponds to the numerical security score, where the plurality of security indices include at least a security index, an anti-virus index, an anti-hacker index, an anti-abuse index, and an anti-spam index. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the single alert includes a description of the event. 
     
     
       3. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first information identifies a first proposed user action relating to the first application based on the event. 
     
     
       4. The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the second information identifies a second proposed user action relating to the second application based on the event. 
     
     
       5. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first information and the second information includes a description of the event, the first information identifies a first proposed user action relating to the first application based on the event, and the second information identifies a second proposed user action relating to the second application based on the event. 
     
     
       6. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein components of the first information and the second information are ranked. 
     
     
       7. The method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the components of the first information and the second information are conditionally included in the single alert based on the ranking. 
     
     
       8. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the single alert includes a textual description of the first information and the second information. 
     
     
       9. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the event includes a security event. 
     
     
       10. The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the first application and the second application include applications that include at least one of an anti-virus application, a firewall application, a content filtering application, an anti-spam application, and a utilities application. 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the interface includes an application program interface. 
     
     
       12. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the interface further includes the graphical user interface for allowing access to the first application and the second application. 
     
     
       13. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first response or the second response includes an operation to quarantine data. 
     
     
       14. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first response or the second response includes an operation to delete data. 
     
     
       15. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first response or the second response includes an operation to clean data. 
     
     
       16. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first response or the second response includes an operation to alert a user. 
     
     
       17. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first color coded status indicator and the second color coded status indicator each include a color coded icon, where the color coded icon exhibits a green color to indicate that the corresponding application is installed, enabled and running, and the color coded icon exhibits a red color to indicate that the corresponding application is at least one of not installed, disabled and expired, and to further indicate if a subscription associated with the corresponding application is expired. 
     
     
       18. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the the numerical security score is in a range of 1.0 to 10.0 and the graphical representation comprises a bar graph. 
     
     
       19. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface that includes the first color coded status indicator for the first application and the second color coded status indicator for the second application further includes an update icon, an additional information icon, a support icon, and a help icon. 
     
     
       20. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface that includes the first color coded status indicator for the first application
 and the second color coded status indicator for the second application is displayed separately from the displayed window of the single alert. 
 
     
     
       21. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium for combined alerting, comprising:
 computer code for receiving first information relating to a first response to an event associated with a first application; 
 computer code for receiving second information relating to a second response to the event associated with a second application; and 
 computer code for displaying a single alert including the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the single alert includes a window automatically displayed on a front most window of a graphical user interface, in response to the receipt of the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the receiving and displaying is carried out utilizing an interface that includes the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including a first color coded status indicator for the first application, a second color coded status indicator for the second application, and a security index display that displays a plurality of security indices, where each of the plurality of security indices includes a numerical security score and a graphical representation that corresponds to the numerical security score, where the plurality of security indices include at least a security index, an anti-virus index, an anti-hacker index, an anti-abuse index, and an anti-spam index. 
 
     
     
       22. A system for combined alerting, comprising:
 means for receiving first information relating to a first response to an event associated with a first application; 
 means for receiving second information relating to a second response to the event associated with a second application; and 
 means for displaying a single alert including the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the single alert includes a window automatically displayed on a front most window of a graphical user interface, in response to the receipt of the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the receiving and displaying is carried out utilizing an interface that includes the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including includes a first color coded status indicator for the first application, a second color coded status indicator for the second application, and a security index display that displays a plurality of security indices, where each of the plurality of security indices includes a numerical security score and a graphical representation that corresponds to the numerical security score, where the plurality of security indices include at least a security index, an anti-virus index, an anti-hacker index, an anti-abuse index, and an anti-spam index. 
 
     
     
       23. A method for combined alerting, comprising:
 receiving first information corresponding to a first proposed user action in response to an event associated with a first application; 
 receiving second information corresponding to a second proposed user action in response to the event associated with a second application; and 
 displaying a single alert including the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the single alert includes a window automatically displayed on a front most window of a graphical user interface, in response to the receipt of the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the receiving and displaying is carried out utilizing an interface that includes the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including includes a first color coded status indicator for the first application, a second color coded status indicator for the second application, and a security index display that displays a plurality of security indices, where each of the plurality of security indices includes a numerical security score and a graphical representation that corresponds to the numerical security score, where the plurality of security indices include at least a security index, an anti-virus index, an anti-hacker index, an anti-abuse index, and an anti-spam index. 
 
     
     
       24. The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the single alert includes a plurality of selection icons capable of being selected by a user for executing at least one of the first proposed user action and the second proposed user action. 
     
     
       25. The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the selection icons include links. 
     
     
       26. The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the selection icons include hyperlinks. 
     
     
       27. A single alert object embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:
 a first portion reflecting a first response to an event associated with a first application; and 
 a second portion displayed simultaneously with the first portion for reflecting a second response to the event associated with a second application; 
 wherein the single alert object includes a window automatically displayed on a front most window of a graphical user interface, in response to the receipt of the first information and the second information; 
 wherein the receiving and displaying is carried out utilizing an interface that includes the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including a first color coded status indicator for the first application, a second color coded status indicator for the second application, and a security index display that displays a plurality of security indices, where each of the plurality of security indices includes a numerical security score and a graphical representation that corresponds to the numerical security score, where the plurality of security indices include at least a security index, an anti-virus index, an anti-hacker index, an anti-abuse index, and an anti-spam index. 
 
     
     
       28. A method for combined alerting, comprising:
 identifying an event; 
 receiving first information relating to a first response to the event associated with a first application, the first information further relating to a first proposed user action in response to the event associated with the first application; 
 receiving second information relating to a second response to the event associated with a second application, the second information further relating to a second proposed user action in response to the event associated with the second application; 
 determining a ranking associated with the first information and the second information; and 
 displaying a single alert conditionally including the first information and the second information based on the ranking, the single alert including a window automatically displayed on a front most window of a graphical user interface; 
 wherein the first application and the second application include applications that include at least one of an anti-virus application, a firewall application, a content filtering application, an anti-spam application, and a utilities application; 
 wherein the receiving and displaying is carried out utilizing an interface that includes the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including includes a first color coded status indicator for the first application, a second color coded status indicator for the second application, and a security index display that displays a plurality of security indices, where each of the plurality of security indices includes a numerical security score and a graphical representation that corresponds to the numerical security score, where the plurality of security indices include at least a security index, an anti-virus index, an anti-hacker index, an anti-abuse index, and an anti-spam index.